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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

I LOVE breakfast! And in my opinion, there is nothing better than a yummy breakfast casserole. Why do I love casseroles so much? They are perfect for feeding large groups of people, they can be made in advance (the night before you need to bake them), and they travel well. So, you can bring them to a potluck or to a friend's house!

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe a few months ago, and it is AMAZING! It is very easy, and you can add whatever ingredients you have on hand, which makes it pretty hard to mess up!

I first tried it out when my sister was having a bridesmaid brunch back in February, and it was a HIT. All of the girls LOVED it!

Since then, I have made a lot of different variations for different occasions. I even like to make one on the weekend when I am doing all of my meal prep, and Landon and I will eat it during the week. It is super quick to reheat in the morning... Just cut a square, microwave it, and enjoy!

About a week ago, I made these for a family brunch I hosted at my house. I made a vegetarian one, a meat one (with sausage, ham, and bacon), and a broccoli/ham one. (Note: These are uncooked. I made them the day before, and kept them in the fridge overnight)

Easy Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 cups of milk

1 20 oz. package of shredded hash browns (If you use frozen, cook them in a pan for a few minutes first to get the moisture out. Then, let them cool.)

1 lb. breakfast sausage or crumbled bacon or turkey or whatever meat you want to add

1/4 to 1/2 cup small broccoli pieces

1-2 cups shredded cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

(And, like I mentioned above, you can add or omit any vegetables, meats, etc.. you like)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix eggs, milk, seasonings together in a bowl.

2. Add other ingredients and mix them in.

3. Spray 9x13 casserole dish with Pam or any non-stick spray.

4. Pour mixture into pan and top with shredded cheese.

6. Bake about 40 minutes or until done.

And that's it! Easy peasy, right?Let me know if you give it a try. I would love to know what you think!(Also, sorry for the lack of posts last week! I left my computer charging cord in Colorado... OOPS!!!)

Monday, August 15, 2016

And I would be sad about it, except for the fact that Freshly Picked has graciously teamed up with me this week to give one of YOU a pair of their adorable, soft-sole moccasins! Nothing like a giveaway to get rid of the #postvacationblues

Over here at the Erickson house, we LOVE Freshly Picked! I first heard about the company a couple of years ago when I watched Susan Petersen (the founder) on SharkTank. I remember hearing her story and thinking to myself "When I have a baby, I am totally getting him/her a pair of those!"

So, when Lincoln came along, I knew I had to order him a pair. I really wanted to get him some tiny, newborn ones right away, but I decided to wait until he was older because they seemed like a bit of an investment ($60.00 retail value). As soon as he started cruising and crawling around, I decided that it was finally time. I went with the Weathered Brown because it seemed like the perfect neutral that he could wear everyday.When they arrived in the mail, I was in LOVE. I wish I didn't wait as long to get his first pair, and I immediately ordered him another pair in Blue Spruce! Lincoln wears his moccasins every single day, and they have been worth every penny. Not only are they extremely soft and comfortable, but they are also durable. Plus, the soft sole is good for his foot development as he learns to walk.

SO, to wrap up, here are the main reasons we love FP moccasins:

They are easy to put on.This is Landon's favorite part about them. Baby shoes can be difficult, but these slide right on.

They STAY on.This is my favorite part about them. These stay PUT. Lincoln can even crawl in them without them coming off.

They look great with anything.Lincoln wears them with shorts, jeans, or sweatpants. And if you have a girl, they would be adorable with dresses or rompers.

They have a lot of styles/colors to choose from. Just browse through the website. Some of my favorites are Born in the USA, Harvest Moon, and Green Camo.Over time, your child's footprint will leave a mark on the bottom.These are definitely the shoes you will want to save and keep forever!

I can't say enough good things about Freshly Picked... and now you get a chance to win your own! The winner gets to choose ANY pair of soft-sole moccasins in the size and color of their choice. The giveaway starts TODAY, and will run through Thursday at midnight! The winner will be announced Friday 8/20.

Don't have a baby? THAT'S OKAY. Enter to win a pair for your grandson, granddaughter, niece, nephew, cousin, etc. They also would be a wonderful baby shower gift for someone you love!

Click below to enter the giveaway. There are four ways you can enter to win.

Note: Winner must be 18 years or older and must be following both @simplychelseablog and @freshlypicked on Instagram. The winner cannot have won a pair of FP moccasins in the past 60 days and must live in the United States. (sorry!)

Friday, August 5, 2016

I am currently planning his first birthday party, and I can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday we were getting his newborn pictures taken...

I miss my snuggly, little baby sometimes, but I am also really enjoying this stage. He is so interactive, and he makes me laugh all of the time! I can’t picture my life without this sweet boy. He is so fun!

This month, Lincoln seems to be busier than ever! He likes to do everything himself. He crawls around everywhere and is starting to open cabinets and drawers. He also loves outlets, which is fun. Outlets are a great thing to be obsessed with.. super safe! :)

Weight and Height:

Didn’t measure this month.

Hair/eyes:

Light brown hair with a blonde streak in the back. His eyes are still blue.

Sleep:

Well, as much as I would like to say he still sleeps through the night, he does not. He is super inconsistent now. Some nights he will sleep 11-12 hours straight, and other nights he will wake up a few times. When he wakes up, he doesn’t want to eat. He just wants to be held, so I think it is due to teething. He has three teeth now, and it looks like a fourth is starting to come through.

Lincoln likes…

Tomatoes. He usually doesn’t like anything chunky, but he LOVES tomatoes. I cut them up into tiny pieces, and he gobbles them down.

Blueberry yogurt.

The umbrella stroller. He likes to sit in this position where he lifts one leg up and just chills. Its super cute!

Remotes.

His toothbrush.

Dog bones. He loves to take them right out of Kimber’s mouth. Luckily, she doesn’t mind too much and just takes them right back.

Pulling himself up on everything.

Pulling on your nose. He has quite a grip, and he can grab it pretty hard! I’ve been saying “no-no” or “be gentle”, which brings me to my next one…

Being told “no-no”. He smiles every time I say it. I don’t think he understands what it means, or he just likes being disobedient. haha. JUST KIDDING.

Monday, August 1, 2016

We are headed to Colorado tomorrow, so I'm posting a day early this week.

Ohhh shopping, how I love you! One of my favorite places to shop (especially online) is Nordstrom. I love Nordstrom. SO much. For four main reasons:

1. You can find some great deals. (I've gotten items for around $10!)

2. Their customer service is unbeatable.

3. There is free shipping and free returns.

4. They have a mother's room. A super nice, comfortable one.

As a stay at home mom, I can't go crazy and shop like I used to when Landon and I were DINKS (Double Income, No Kids). But, it's totally okay because I happen to really like bargain shopping anyway! Although I like to find good deals, I also like to spend some money on investment pieces that I know I will last for years.

So, here are some of my favorite items from the sale! And, for the record, I am definitely NOT a fashionista. I have the "mom" style going on 95% of the time, which consists of four items: T-shirt. Jeans. Shoes (usually sandals, converse, flats, or booties). Basic jewelry. That's about it.

Denim is definitely something I like to invest in. Good quality jeans that fit well are worth the the money. Wit and Wisdom and Loft jeans are my favorite. I swear my Wit and Wisdom jeans are more comfortable than some pajama pants I own! But these Vigoss ones fit me great and are very flattering! I'm glad I ordered them.

I know. The price tag is ridiculous. But before you judge me, go read the reviews. These are a DREAM. I couldn't convince myself to keep more than two pairs because of the cost. But, I think I will just pick up a pair every now and then and slowly build my collection because to be honest, I don't want to wear anything else. #TMI

I read all about blardigans on Sheaffer Told Me To, and I've had my eye on them for awhile now. When I saw that they were included in the sale, I jumped right on it and ordered myself both the original and baby version. WOW. They are even more comfortable than I thought they would be! They are SO soft, and I will probably wear one every single day of my life as soon as the weather starts getting cooler. I am even considering bumping my air conditioner down to 40 degrees now just so I can wear one around the house. I want to order ten more so I can always have one with me. Maybe I should add them to my diaper bag essentials post... That's how much I love them. Thanks Sheaffer for the recommendation!!

I always like to buy a pair of these while they are on sale. You can wear them to workout, but you can also wear them with a long sweater or shirt. They are nice and thick, so you can not see through them at all. They also hold up nice in the wash, which is always a plus!

Some of my other favorites that I LOVE and would totally purchase if I was still a DINK.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Today, I thought I would give you all a little peak into my diaper bag and what I carry around on a day to day basis for Lincoln.

As a first time mom, I know that I like to see what other mamas are doing to get some ideas for myself. Unfortunately, babies don't come with instruction manuals... so I love getting advice and tips from other moms.

I remember the days when I used to leave the house with my little crossbody purse that contained my wallet, phone, chapstick, and keys. Ahhhh... those were the days.

Well, a lot has changed since then. Now, I have to lug around a tote full of all kinds of fun things to keep my little guy happy and taken care of!

So, here is everything I like to bring with me on a typical day!

(Left to right, top to bottom)

1. Diapers and wipes - Obviously. You don't want to leave the house without these!2. Snacks for Lincoln - I have some teething crackers and a spoon. I will also throw a jar of baby food in there if we will be out for awhile.3. Change of clothes - Accidents happen. 4. Hat - We do live in sunny San Diego! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably see Lincoln wearing this hat in a lot of my pictures. Now you know why! It is the one I keep in my diaper bag.5. Sippy cup - Lincoln loves water! And it has been HOT lately.6. Nursing cover - We are still nursing every 3-4 hours in between meals. I HIGHLY recommend the Covered Goods nursing cover for all the breastfeeding moms out there! It is super soft, lightweight, and provides 360 coverage. Now that he is bigger, I just use it as a nursing scarf instead of a full cover. I love this thing!7. Bib - For drool, mainly. Lincoln is currently cutting his top two teeth. My friend made me a few bibs in different patterns, and this is one of the ones she gave me! Adorable right?!8. Lysol and hand sanitizer - Who wants a sick baby? Not me.9. Diaper rash cream - In my opinion, this brand works wayyyy better than Desitin.10. Snack for me - I don't like being hungry.11. Lincoln's toothbrush - See previous post. Lincoln likes to carry this thing around 24/7.12. Lotion and sunscreen - I like the Aveeno brand.13. Diaper disposal bags - I use these for dirty diapers, soiled clothes, dirty spoons/bottles. They keep the mess contained until I get home. 14. Lipgloss, chapstick, and mascara - They help me look put together in a hurry!15. Wet wipes - For wiping down dirty surfaces and hands.16. Sunglasses17. "Portable" tote bag - I like to keep this in my diaper bag for quick errands. For instance, if I am just running in the mall to make a return or something, I won't bring my whole diaper bag. I will just throw my wallet, a diaper, and wipes in this small bag and head inside.18. My planner - I would be lost without it. It goes everywhere with me.19. Phone - With a LifeProof case. 20. Tiny mirror - to check myself.

21. Unpictured items - Wallet (with credit card, ID, etc..) I accidentally left it in the pocket of my bag when I took the picture. And toys, I always throw a few toys in before we leave the house.

And thats it! Of course, the items in this bag change all of the time. When Lincoln was a newborn, I would have made sure I had like three extra outfits and 10 pacifiers. And in a few months, hopefully we won't need to be carrying around his toothbrush anymore. But, this is what works for us for now... until things change again.HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE!